Toe-calk for horseshoes



FIG 6 INVENTOR:

xrM By 1213 Allorneys,

W. J. KENT. TOE GALK FOR .HORSESHOBS.

FIG 4 [No Model.)

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM J. KENT, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

TOE-CALK FOR HORSESHOES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 553,345, dated January21,1896.

Application filed May 23, 1895. fierial No. 550,309. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WViLLIAM J. KENT, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Toe-Calks forHorseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to horseshoes, and is applicable either to thoseknown as ordinary or road shoes or to those known as racing shoes orplates.

The invention relates particularly to shoes having a wearing or grippingface or edge at the outer part of the bottom face, a longitudinal grooveat rear of said face or edge, having an upwardly and rearwardly inclinedwall extending from said edge upwardly into the body of the shoe, and arearwardly-extending top for said groove above and at rear of saidgripping-edge, one example of a shoe of this character being shown in myapplication for Letters Patent, filed April 27, 1895, Serial No. 547,300and the invention aims to provide an improved toe-calk, especiallyapplicable for attachment to such shoe.

To this end in carrying out the preferred form of my invention I providea toe-calk consisting of a single metallic piece adapted to be appliedto the bottom face of a shoe, having a downwardly-projecting partconstituting a working portion, a longitudinal rearwardly-extendinghearing or shoulder at top of said part adapted to bear on the bottomface or gripping-edge of the shoe, an upwardly and rearwardly inclinedwall above said shoulder, adapted to embrace a corresponding wall on theshoe and be attached thereto, and a longitudinal bearing at the upperedge of said wall adapted to bear on an upperportion of said shoe, saidshoulder and bearing serving to support the shoe from the calk,

and said wall to connect the calk to the shoe, and I provide said calkwith a rear side extending from said upper bearing downwardly to saidworking portion, and preferably forwardly to the front part thereof, sothat the latter consists of a narrow working or gripping edge for thecalk.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of theinvention. Figure 1 is a bottom face view of a shoe and toe-ealkembodying my improvements. Fig.

2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a crossseetion thereof on theline 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the calk alone. Fig. 5is a cross-sectional view thereof; Fig. 6 is a front elevation thereof,and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic View showing how the calk strikes theground.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate the shoe, and B the toe-calk.The shoe A has an elongated body of any suitable construction andmaterial, having on its bottom face an outer hearing or gripping edge orportion 0,

immediately at rear thereof an upwardly and tom face H extending fromsaid second edge G to the inner side I of the body. From its inner sideI the body has a flat outwardly-extending top face J, and at its outerside an outer downwardly and usually rearwardly inclined front wall K.The edge or bearing 0, inclined wall D, and face E are preferablycontinuous parts extending throughout substantially the length of theshoe, and substantially parallel relatively each to the other in theirextension. The space between the walls D and F constitutes anupwardly-extending groove in the bottom face of the shoe.

The calk B according to my invention consists of a metallic piece havinga lower or working portion (it below the shoe, an upper or fasteningportion b for attachment to the shoe, a bearing or shoulder c at itsfront side between said portions bearing 011 the gripping or wearingedge or face of the shoe, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined face (Zabove said bearing adapted to fit a corresponding face D on the body ofthe shoe, a rearwardly extendin g bearing or edge 6 above said faceadapted to fit a corresponding portion, as the portion E of the shoe,and a rear wall f extending from said hearing or edge e downwardly andforwardly to said working portion. The bearing or shoulder cis adaptedto support the calk 011 the wearing or gripping faee or edge 0 of theshoe, by hearing thereon or being attached thereto. Therearwardly-inclined face (Z is curved longitudi- IOC nally andproportioned vertically to substantially fit the upwardly and rearwardlyinclined face D of the shoe, and adapted to be attached thereto, andserves to retain the toe calk in connection with the shoe. The upperbearing or edge e is shaped to fit the part E of the shoe and bearthereagainst, thereby in part supporting the calk on the upper and innerportion of the body of the shoe near the middle thereof. When the partEof the shoe is terminated by a downwardly-extending wall F the edge e ofthe calk may be extended rearwardly into contact with this wall, asshown, thereby assisting in preventing displacement of the calkrelatively to the shoe. The rear wall f of the calk extends downwardlyand forwardly to the working portion of the latter. By preference thiswall is a substantially straight wall extending from the upper part ofthe calk to the forward part of the lower part or bearing, or wearing,portion thereof, and the calk is constructed with adownwardly-extending, and preferably substantially vertical front wall gextending from the front bearing or shoulder 0 downwardly and meetingthe rear wall f at a point or edge h, serving as the wearing-edge of thecalk, and sufficiently narrow or sharp to serve as a gripping-edgetherefor. The walls 9 and f diverge upwardly from the edge h, thusgiving the calk a triangular cross-section for its wearing portion,which is thickest at the point where the shoulder c is located. Fromthis point the portion Z) of the calk extends diagonally'rearw-ardly andupwardly in the form of a thin wing or flange, of uniform orslightly-tapering cross-section, depending on whether the walls (1 and fare parallel or slightly diverging, as shown.

In operation, the calk having been suitably attached to the shoeas, forexample, by brazing its face cl to the face D of the shoe, with itsbearing-shoulder 0 bearing on the bottom face or edge 0 of the latter,and its bearingedge ebearing in the top of the groove formed by thewalls D, E, and Fthe calk will support the shoe at two points, the oneat its front lower outer edge 0 and the other at its upper middleportion E, its fastening to the shoe will be mainly intermediate ofthese points and at the points of engagement of the face d and wall D,and the wearing portion of the calk will project downwardly, eithersubstantially vertically or slightly inclined, as desired. In strikingthe ground the strains will be transmitted through the calk to the twoparts of the shoe to which its bearings are applied, and the tendency tobackward displacement of the calk will be resisted by therearwardly-inclined portion 1) of the latter, the inclination of whichand of the rear wall f and the affixing-face (Z will be substantially inthe direction of thrust as the calk strikes the ground when the horse isrunning.

The calk is preferably constructed of a single piece of solid metal,rolled or otherwise formed of the described or desired cross-section,elongated longitudinally to give it the desired breadth, and curved toconform to the curvature of the shoe to which it is to be applied.

It will be seen that my invention provides improvements in toe-calks forhorseshoes which can be easily availed of and successfully used, and itwill be understood that the invention is not confined to the exactdetails of construction and arrangement set forth and shown asconstituting its preferred form, since it may be adopted according tosuch modifications as circumstances or the judgment of those skilled inthe art may dictate without departing from the spirit of the in vention.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. A toe calk for horse-shoes consisting of' anelongated metallic piece adapted to be applied to the bottom face of ashoe and having a downwardly projecting part constituting a workingportion, a longitudinal shoulder on its front side adapted to bear on anadjacent portion of the shoe, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wallabove said shoulder adapted to embrace a reciprocal portion of a shoe,and a longitudinal bearing at its upper edge adapted to bear on anotherportion of the shoe, said shoulder and bearing serving in use to supportthe shoe from the calk, and said wall serving to connect the calk to theshoe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A calk for horse-shoes consisting of, an elongated piece of metalhaving a downwardly extending body constituting at its lower edge awearing portion, an upwardly extending front wall, a substantiallyhorizontal rearwardly extending bearing shoulder at top of said wall, anupwardly and rearwardly extending face at top of said shoulder, a rearwardly extending bearing edge at top of said face and a downwardly andforwardly extending rear wall between said bearing edge and wearingportion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A toe calk for horse-shoes having a substantially vertical bodyconstituting a wearing portion, a bearing shoulder at top of said bodyextending from its frontface rearwardly, an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined seating face above said shoulder, a rearwardly extendingbearing portion at top of said face, and a downwardly and forwardlyextending rear wall between said bearing portion and wearing portion,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In toe calks for horse-shoes, the combination with a horse-shoehaving a gripping edge on its bottom face, and a longitudinal groovehaving an upwardly-and rearwardly inclined wall at rear of said edge, ofa toe calk consisting of an elongated piece of metal having a downwardlyextending body portion terminating in a wearing face, an upwardlyextending front face between said wearing face and the bottom face ofthe shoe, a rearwardly extending bearing shoulder at the bottom face ofthe shoe bearing on said gripping edge, an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined face embracing the front face of said groove, a rearwardlyextending bearing edge above said face bearing on the top of saidgroove, and a downwardly extending rear face ex tending from the top ofsaid groove to said wearing portion, said calk and shoe fixed t0- gethersubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A toe ealk for horseshoes consisting of an elongated metallic pieceadapted to be applied to the bottom face of a shoe and having adownwardly projecting part constituting a working portion, an upwardlyand rear- Wardl y inclined wall above said working portion adapted toembrace a reciprocal portion of a shoe, and a longitudinal bearing atits upper edge adapted to bear on an upper portion of the shoe, saidbearing serving in use to support the shoe from the calk, and said wallserving to connect the calk to the shoe, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

"ILLIAM J. KEN

Witnesses GEORGE H. FRASER, THOMAS F. WALLACE.

